Correlation of the personality traits and sociodemographic factors in patients with mood disorders and suicidal behavior

Committee Members

Pavo Filaković (committee chairperson)

Granter

Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of OsijekFaculty of Medicine

Place

Osijek

State

Croatia

Scientific field, discipline, subdiscipline

BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCAREClinical Medical Sciences

UDK

61APPLIED SCIENCES. MEDICINE. TECHNOLOGYMedical sciences

Study programme type

university

Study level

postgraduate

Study programme

University Postgraduate Study

Academic title abbreviation

dr. sc.

Genre

doctoral thesis

Language

Croatian

Defense date

2017-02-07

Parallel abstract (English)

Suicide and mood disorders represent a major global public health problem. Depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are associated with increased risk for suicide. Beside the existing disorder, underlaying personality traits may be the factor which could influence the appearance of specific mood disorder and suicidal behavior. Aim of the research: The aim of this research was to evaluate and recognize the specific personality traits in patients with mood disorders (recurrent depressive disorder and bipolar disorder) who had suicidal ideation and attempt in comparison to non-suicidal patients with respective mood disorders. Participants and Methods: Our sample consisted of 119 unrelated patients (both male and female) who were suffering form recurrent depressive disorder - depressive episode without psychotic symptoms and bipolar disorder - depressive episode without psychotic symptoms, according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. The research was conducted from November 2012 to September 2015 on Deparment of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Osijek. The patients were divided in two groups, experimental (patients with mood disorder and suicide ideation/attempt) and control group (non-suicidal patients with mood disorder). Personality traits, severity of depression and suicidal ideation were assessed on the first day (within 72h upon addmittion) and on the 21st day of treatment. The battery of instruments used for assessment was: „Temperament and Character Inventory“(TCI) for personality traits on the 1st and 21st day; „Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale“(C-SSRS) in the group od suicidal patients on the 1st and 21st day; „Reason for Living Inventory“(RFL) in both groups on the 1st day; „Hamilton Depression Rating Scale“(HAM-D) in both groups on 1st and 21st day and semi-structured sociodemographic questionnaire. 132 Results: In the group of suicidal patients (regradless the mood disorder), upon admittion, we found significantly higher scores on the harm-avoidance (HA) temperament dimension (Mann Whitney U Test, P<0,001) and significantly lower scores on persistence (P) (Mann Whitney U Test, P=0,04), self-directedness (SD) (Mann Whitney U Test; P<0,001) and on cooperativeness (C) (Mann Whitney U Test; P=0,001). On the 21st day in the group of suicidal patients there were stil significantly higher scores on HA dimension (Mann Whitney U Test, P<0,001) and significantly lower scores on SD dimension (Mann Whitney U Test, P<0,001) and C dimension (Mann Whitney U Test, P=0,002). These results were confirmed with detailed analysis of the suicidal and non-suicidal group in relation to personality traits and intensity of suicidal behavior. When compared to non-suicidal group, the group of patients with suicidal attempt had significantly lower scores on the complete RFL assessment instrument (Mann Whitney U Test, P<0,001). On our sample we did not confirm the influence of sociodemographic factors on suicidal behavior. Conclusion: High score in harm-avoidance (HA) dimension with low scores in self-directedness (SD), cooperativeness (CO) and persistence (P) were present in the group of suicidal patients with mood disorders upon addmittance and discharge. We assume that the presence of these specific personality traits may determine possible future risk for suicidal behavior in the mentioned group of patients. The results on our sample, confirmed and corroborated relatively new hypothesis for existance stable (not state-dependent) personality traits which could affect individual vulnerability for development of depressive disorder and suicidal behavior.